To date, it has been made available for 32-bit Windows operating systems as well as versions of Android.

Faced with a lack of standards around what movements are invoked by differing touch screen gestures, the US Government relied on internal psychological research among Navy personnel to determine the most natural or comfortable touch gestures.

They hoped to avoid side effects of touch screen use like "gorilla arm", often found when tiring of using an upright screen.

According to Niepraschk, the department also had to carefully tweak any gestures developed with greater range for error to account for use in tanks while driving.

Though the project team has been careful to align its development with the result of the psychological examinations, Neipraschk used the JavaOne conference held earlier this month in San Francisco to appeal for greater help from other developers.

Those who contribute gestures that can be patented will receive a small payment.

Neipraschk said open sourcing the project will be "painful" due to ongoing restrictions around technology sharing policies in the Department of Defense.

"However, the Navy and the Government want this to be open sourced," he said. "If it's open sourced, people can help us do it and we don't have to pay as much for it."

Recruiting appeal

The Department of Defense hopes to appeal to younger recruits used to touch screen smartphones and tablets.

"It's definitely happening with the phones, the iPads, all the stuff out there, the days of the keyboard and the mouse are limited," Neiprasch said.

"We realise that these young kids using the tablets and smartphones, when they turn 18 and enlist and we stick a keyboard in front of them, they'll be like 'what is that?'"

James Hutchinson travelled to the JavaOne conference as a guest of Oracle.

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